Bird Flu

Avian Bird Flu Survival Guide: "when the world first experienced human fatalities from an outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in Hong Kong I have casually watched the progress of the H5N1 Bird Flu virus. After most of Hong Kong’s chickens were culled, several scientists stated that a potential H5N1 Birdflu pandemic had been averted by eliminating the virus completely from the island.



This made me curious about how a seemingly simple bird flu infection far away on an island could potentially wreck havoc on the whole world, including my family. In early 2004 an outbreak of the bird flu began in Vietnam.



The H5N1 Bird Flu virus was now spreading in relatively poor and underdeveloped countries with thousands of backyard chicken farms. There was little chance of eliminating the H5N1 Bird Flu virus completely from South East Asia. This logically suggested that a pandemic could occur. Also each past pandemic originated from a bird flu virus and this H5N1 bird flu virus was still rapidly evolving towards pandemic like characteristics.



The threat of a pandemic was starting to appear to be a real possibility so in May 2005 I began making preparations to protect my family based on the infection control guidelines established by the World Health Organisation." Avian Bird Flu Survival Guide